Wesley Chapel District Park Rec Center Survives Delay Request

A mock-up of a proposed indoor athletic facility for Wesley Chapel District Park from 2004.

Plans to build a $3-million indoor athletic facility at the Wesley Chapel District Park (WCDP) are moving forward, following some heated debate at the Jan. 22 Pasco Board of County Commissioners (BOC) meeting about whether or not the commissioners should delay it.

At the BOC meeting, where commissioners were expected to approve the choice of the construction company tabbed by county staff to build the facility, District 4 commissioner Mike Wells seemed put off by the lack of notes by evaluation committee members in the committee’s final recommendation of Wannemacher Jensen Architects.

Comm. Wells said he wanted to see the notes the staffers took to make their final decision, which was unanimous. And, because those notes weren’t available, he suggested, “that all of the proposals be rejected and that the project be re-solicited.”

Requiring that every company that submitted bids and presentations do so again would delay the project by as much as six months.

The Consent Agenda is usually a list of items that the county staff has recommended for BOC approval. Sometimes, but rarely, items are pulled from the Agenda to correct a mistake, or to be debated. Wells pulled the Wesley Chapel facility item from the Consent Agenda, something he said he has done only one other time in his career as a commissioner.

“It’d be nice to be able to go back and look at the notes,” Wells said.

County purchasing director Stacy Ziegler told the BOC that proper procedure was followed during the selection process, and that tapes of those meetings are public.

“We followed a process that we have been following for the last six months, since we updated our purchasing manual,” Ziegler said. “We feel we’ve done our due diligence and our recommendation should stand.”

Wells, as well as District 5 Commissioner Jack Mariano — who originally seconded Wells’ motion to reject the selection — seemed miffed that Spring Engineering, Inc., wasn’t chosen.

Spring Engineering and its CEO, Richard Bekesh, each donated $1,000 to Wells’ reelection campaign in 2017.

Located in Holiday, FL, Spring Engineering was ranked as the seventh choice out of nine by the county’s evaluation committee, which was made up of assistant county administrator Erik Breitenbach, director of facilities management Andrew Baxter, chief project manager of the facilities management department TJ Pyche, director of parks, recreation & natural resources Keith Wiley and Brian Taylor, the manager of parks, recreation and natural resources.

Comm. Mariano said the county should be pushing local companies, and he had a problem with Spring Engineering, a local company, not making the top two, even though he did not attend any of the evaluation meetings. In fact, he and Wells both hinted at including county commissioners on the evaluation committees in the future, and later Mariano even suggested the companies should re-present to the commission.

Mike Moore, the commissioner for District 2, which includes most of Wesley Chapel, was visibly frustrated by Wells’ maneuverings, and argued that redoing the entire process would be a waste of time, and unfair to the companies bidding — as well as to the Wesley Chapel residents awaiting the new facility.

“If you go through the whole process and they write comments down and the results are exactly the same, then what?,” Moore asked.

Moore has been a proponent of building the indoor facility at WCDP, where the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association runs youth leagues in a variety of sports. The WCAA’s basketball leagues are currently held on outdoor courts, a less-than-ideal setting considering Florida’s hot and often rainy climate. 

An indoor gymnasium would allow the basketball leagues to be played indoors. It also would create an opportunity for gymnastics and volleyball leagues to be played, as well as adult recreation sports like pickleball.

The 13,000-sq.-ft. recreation center would also have meeting rooms and offer local residents a place to gather for meetings, exercise classes and parties.

Moore said he thinks more than 1,000 local athletes and residents will be impacted by the facility.

“There are a lot of people waiting for this to be done,” Moore told his fellow commissioners. “They need this to happen on the timeline we said it was going to happen.”

The idea for an indoor facility at the WCDP, which is currently just a collection of lacrosse, soccer, baseball and softball fields, with outdoor basketball courts and three tennis courts, has been bandied about since 2005, but the money hasn’t been available to build it.

The county has allocated $2.5-million towards the project, which comes from developer impact fees, Moore said, and could be completed by summer 2020.

Last October, the county officially solicited bids for the project, reaching out to 551 vendors via email, including 34 from Pasco County. Nine responses were received, and Spring Engineering was the lone bidder from the county.

On Nov. 29, the evaluation committee independently scored the proposals, settling on a final four of two firms from St. Petersburg and two from Tampa. On Jan. 3, the remaining firms gave presentations to the committee, and all five members ranked Wannemacher Jensen Architects, Inc., of St. Petersburg, No. 1.

Harvard Jolly, Inc., also based in St. Petersburg, was named No. 2 by four of the five committee members.

Wells seemed perturbed that there was a wide difference in rating points between some of the firms during the process, seeming to suggest that those results somehow made the process flawed. Mariano hinted at some sort of bias. Spring Engineering, for example, was scored an 82 by one committee member, but only 46 by two others. 

 “This is about picking the most qualified person, and I don’t think we did that,” Wells said.

Following the debate, Wells again motioned for the recommendation to be rejected, but Mariano declined to second it and it passed 4-1.

New Tampa Mayoral Forum On Feb. 19!

Harry Cohen

Tampa City Council member Luis Viera has worked hard during his time in office to raise the political engagement of the New Tampa area he represents in District 7.

So, it was only natural that with more than a candidate forums scheduled throughout the City of Tampa for mayoral candidates, Viera would work on getting one held here.

Ed Turanchik

On Tuesday, February 19, at 7 p.m., The Venetian Event Center at St. Mark the Evangelist Church on Cross Creek Blvd. will host a forum that, as of our deadline, had commitments from mayoral candidates Ed Turanchik, Mike Suarez, Harry Cohen, Judge Dick Greco, Jr., and Topher Morrison.

Former Tampa Police chief Jane Castor, the leader in most early polls, had a prior commitment but will send a representative.

Topher Morrison

Sponsored by the New Tampa Council (NTC) and the New Tampa morning and noon Rotary Clubs, the forum will be moderated by Neighborhood News editor Gary Nager and NTC member and K-Bar Ranch resident Craig Margelowsky.

The candidates are all running for the mayoral seat being vacated by Bob Buckhorn because of term limits.

Talking Kinnan-Mansfield

February will be a busy month in New Tampa, as Viera also has scheduled what he is calling a community meeting on Tuesday, February 26, at 6:30 p.m., at the New Tampa Regional Library. Viera hopes that New Tampa residents interested in the long-debated potential connection between Kinnan St. in New Tampa and Meadow Pointe’s Mansfield Blvd. will attend.

Viera met in January with Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, who represents the Meadow Pointe area. Moore told Viera he was opposed to the connection but would seek compromises whenever possible.

Those compromises likely center around connecting Kinnan and Mansfield so at least first responders and emergency vehicles could use it, as well as bikes and pedestrians. — JCC

Grace Episcopal Church In Tampa Palms Dedicates Its New Sanctuary!

Grace Episcopal Church of Tampa Palms recently dedicated and consecrated its new sanctuary building.

A special prayer was written for the occasion by the head of the Episcopal Church, The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate, who preached at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle last May. 

In a message to Grace, Bishop Curry thanked God for, “the Love that connects us all and fills our lives with hope and meaning” and asked God, to, “be present in the ministry within these walls and beyond.”

The ceremony, held Jan. 12, was the realization of a dream that has been in place since nearly the inception of the church itself in 1992.

“It is now a place where Tampa Palms and all of New Tampa can have weddings and funerals,” says Warren Sponsler, a member of the church who serves as its senior warden, which is essentially the leader of the people of the congregation. “It is the church rededicating itself to Tampa Palms and the New Tampa community.”

The church’s original master plan called for a sanctuary to be built on the corner of Tampa Palms Blvd. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. But, in 2013, Hillsborough County annexed that land to widen BBD, paying nearly $4.5 million for the property.

With that land gone, the church’s leadership wasn’t sure if there was still enough space to build a separate sanctuary, but they started working on a new master plan, eventually breaking ground in June of 2017.

Church members worshipped for the first time in their new building the Sunday before Christmas a few weeks ago.

Rev. Benjamin Twinamaani, who has led the church since 2005, says the church community hopes to welcome people of all faiths to host their events at Grace Church.

“It’s time to honor our commitments and be the church of the community here in Tampa Palms,” he says.

“Our parish is truly diverse,” he explains. “We both gather and anchor the community, whether they’re Hindu, Muslim, or atheists. We have room for all.”

The design of the building is traditional, with wooden pews, stained glass windows and even a bell tower, but it also has modern and comfortable touches, such as cushions on the pews, space for the church’s youth band to play, and screens on the walls.

Bishop Dabney T. Smith, who oversees the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida, calls its design “purposeful.” 

“The shape of the construction and the expansion is a very traditional shape that will be accepting of contemporary worship,” he said. “It’s a good combination —that tradition is a mooring in people’s lives, and contemporary means dealing with the real issues of today.”

Three stained glass windows have been installed so far, with each window sponsored by members of the congregation as part of Grace’s capital campaign, and an additional nine windows will be installed as they are completed.

“I hope the larger community will take the opportunity to check it out,” Bishop Smith says.

The beautiful, new sanctuary also includes an organ which was imported from the Netherlands.

“One of the features is a bell carillon, which can be played by the organ inside the church,” says Sponsler. “It isn’t just bells ringing. It’s designed so we can have a wedding outside and could have something customized playing on the bells during the ceremony.”

The new sanctuary is 3,600 square feet and seats about 300 people. This is comparable to the 290 people that fit in the previous space, but now both spaces are available to use for different purposes.

A Community Hall For Everyone

The new building allows the space that was previously used as a sanctuary to be converted to a community room that can now be used for events such as candidate forms, community meetings, bar and bat mitzvahs, anniversary parties, birthday parties and more. 

The church also can now host a wedding in the new sanctuary and then a reception in the Canterbury Hall, as they call it.

Fees for community groups to use the church will be “very nominal,” says Karen Frashier, a member of the church (and New Tampa Rotary Club past president) who is helping with marketing the new space.

As the church’s original sanctuary, Canterbury Hall  has windows overlooking the conservation area behind the church, modern lighting and a brand new commercial kitchen with catering available.

Father Twinamaani explains, “It is the fulfillment of a dream from the inception of the congregation of Grace Church to have a larger space. They made the decision to make a difference not only in their church community, but in the surrounding community as well.”

So far, Father Twinamaani says people are definitely showing an interest in both the community center and the church.

“People like new things,” he says. “We have more people visiting every week, and we have people who have been in the pews for years who are now asking what they can do to serve. The new sanctuary gives a sense of permanence that we are here to stay.”

Grace Episcopal Church, located at 15102 Amberly Dr. in Tampa Palms, holds services each Sunday at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Visitors are always welcome. For more information about hosting an event at the church’s Canterbury Hall or new sanctuary, visit GraceChurchTampaPalms.org or call (813) 971-8484.

5K Road Race & Music Fest Will Benefit Hunter’s Green Elementary PTA

The Hunter’s Green Elementary PTA is hosting a professionally chipped, photographed and timed 5K road race on Feb. 9, which is the school’s primary fund raiser for the year.

On  Saturday, February 9, the Hunter’s Green Elementary (HGE) Parent Teacher Association (PTA) will host a 5K run and 1-mile fun run starting at the school and winding through the Hunter’s Green neighborhood.

“It’s two weeks before Gasparilla, so we’re inviting everyone to participate as a great training run to get your groove for Gasparilla,” says  Emily Milam, HGE’s PTA president, who is one of the event organizers.

Having a chip-timed 5K race in New Tampa, which is open to everyone, is rare, says Milam.

Typically, she explains, these types of races can’t be held in our area because the City of Tampa won’t issue permits to close roads in New Tampa. The roads for the Hunter’s Green race are privately owned by the Hunter’s Green Community Association, which is partnering with the school to bring the race to its residents and the surrounding community.

The race will be professionally chipped, photographed and timed by FitNiche Events. Swag bags and t-shirts will be given to those who register, and medals and prizes will be awarded to winners.

The $35 race entry fee will go to support the school and also includes admission to the second part of the event — a music festival that will be held at Hunter’s Green’s Capt. Nathaniel Hunter Community Park for all residents and race participants from 4 p.m.-8 p.m.

The family-friendly music festival will feature three local bands — Celebrity Romance, Panic Fire featuring Gary Schutt and Chello Hollyday Band. There will be food trucks and bounce houses. While the music fest is being organized by the Community Association for residents of Hunter’s Green, everyone who runs in the 5K race that morning will be invited to come back for the music fest in the afternoon.

“It’s definitely a multi-faceted focus,” says Jenny Giraldo, the social director for the Hunter’s Green Community Association. “The music fest is a great time for the community to come together, take full advantage of our amenities and the wonderful park we’re fortunate to have, while enjoying the live entertainment.”

The Hunter’s Green 5K run and Music Fest will serve as the school’s primary fund raiser for the year. For the past two years, the PTA has hosted an extremely successful gala that raised about $30,000 each year. In addition, the school has held a “fit fest” that included a fun run the past two years.

This year, the PTA is replacing the gala with the expanded 5K run, hoping they can grow it to be as successful an event as the gala has been.

“The gala was great and does really well for us, but it’s an overwhelming amount of work,” says Milam. “We also wanted to move to something that’s really family friendly. Kids weren’t allowed at the gala.  This is a more of a family-targeted event, so your whole family can prepare for it together and run together, then participate in the music fest together.”

She says reaching out to the Hunter’s Green community and the New Tampa area is an important part of the plans, as well.

“It’s a new era in our school,” Milam says. “We’re trying to reach beyond the walls of our school to impact a lot of the neighborhoods around us and support the school where funding (is lacking).”

She says the PTA spends the majority of its funding to go to technology in the school, where the goal is to have a 1:1 ratio of every child having access to a laptop computer at his or her desk.

The PTA also funds supplemental support for music and art, which Milam says are areas that consistently get cut in the School District’s budget, plus school beautification and teacher support.

For more information or to register for the race, which includes admission for your family to the MusicFest, visit HuntersGreenPTA.com/5k. Registrations will be accepted up until the morning of the race.

Pebble Creek Golf Club Owner Says The Club Hasn’t Been Sold…Yet

The Pebble Creek Golf Club has been a part of the landscape in New Tampa for more than 50 years, but it appears that the golf course will be sold and replaced with more residential units. (Photo: John C. Cotey)

The rumored sale of the Pebble Creek Golf Club (PCGC) is, to use golfing vernacular, like a perfect approach to the green that stops a few inches short of the cup.

Now, interested developers are deciding whether or not they want to tap the ball into the cup.

Bill Place, the owner of PCGC since 2005, has confirmed that a purchaser for his 149-acre property has been identified, but says that there has been no sale yet.

“Completely wrong,” Place says of the rumors that the club had been sold.

But, it now appears the sale of New Tampa’s first golf course (it opened in 1967) may be just a matter of time.

The interested party, who offered the highest price among what Place says were eight interested developers, is currently going through a 90-day inspection process to help evaluate whether or not it wants to finalize its purchase.

That included meeting with Pebble Creek residents last week, as well as studying zoning issues and exactly how many units — whether apartments, condos or homes — can be built on the property.

“As I understand it, the company we chose has done this in a lot of places and works with the community,” Place says. “It’s not a company that comes in and just blasts away.”

Even if the sale is finalized, Place says that the rezoning process and securing government approval and permits likely will be an 18- to 24-month process.

“It’s safe to say we won’t be going away before then,” says Place, who along with wife Su Lee, owns the company, Ace Golf, that owns PCGC and three other Tampa Bay-area golf courses.

Place did not identify the potential buyers, or how much the offer was on the property. 

As For The Community…

Mike Jacobson, the president of the Pebble Creek Homeowners Association, says he has been fielding questions about the potential sale since the rumors began swirling late last year. 

“I put something on our web page that basically says Bill Place told me he has multiple bids and is actively planning on selling it,” he says. “Right now, we don’t know who the company is.”

Jacobson says not a single resident he has talked to is happy about the impending sale. He expected residents to make their voices heard when the rezoning comes before the Hillsborough County Commission.

“There’s so many great lakes on that property, there’s no way we’re going to allow those to go away,” Jacobson said. “The other thing I’m concerned about is lacking the infrastructure to handle more homes. Nobody is really looking at this as a positive.”

According to Place, the property already has underlying zoning permitting 600 new units, but he adds that, “there is no way they are going to put that many units on it.”

In September, the PCGC property was listed on the website of land brokers Cushman & Wakefield. The listing boosted the property by heralding its 12 existing lakes, homes in Pebble Creek that are selling “in the mid-$200,000s to upper-$300,000s,” an average household income within a three-mile radius of $106,179 and the 3,189,266 square feet of retail within a three-mile radius of the semi-private golf course.

The detailed listing, which Place denied ever approving, included a marketing flyer, water and sewage map, a zoning site plan, Pebble Creek’s declaration of covenants and restrictions (dated Sept. 2, 1986) and a unit count calculation that said 840 apartment and townhome units were potentially feasible to replace the golf course.

That’s about when Jacobson began hearing from residents, and he called Place for an explanation.

“What he told me was that someone reached out to him about selling it,” Jacobson says. “But, if bids come in and offers come in, he said, ‘I’m going to take it.’ I guess the company took that as an initiative to (list).”

Place has acknowledged that business has not been good at the golf course, which was designed by Bill Amick and offers 6,436 yards of play from the blue tees. He said revenues at the club were down in 2018 by a third, and profits were down by 50 percent.

The construction on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. certainly didn’t help, but many golf courses in general are in an economic slump.

Pebble Creek Golf Club owner Bill Place says that Mulligans Irish Pub inside the golf course’s recently renovated clubhouse is the club’s only money-maker.

Place also said that although Pebble Creek boasts more than 1,000 homes, there are only 20 Pebble Creek homeowners who currently are members of the golf club. Place says the club has tried various specials to lure new members, with cheaper membership dues, to no avail.

Mulligans Irish Pub, the clubhouse restaurant and bar, continues to be successful, however. “Sad to say, but Mulligans is really the only area where we make money,” Place says.

For now, he is letting the transaction unfold as the golf course remains open for business as usual.

“We’re prepared for it to go either way,” Place says of the possible sale. “If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, we’ll continue to operate as long as it’s feasible. Unfortunately, that’s why we’re here in the first place (because it may not be feasible).”